Regensburg 2010 – wissenschaftliches Programm
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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 33: Posters: Neurobiophysics
BP 33.7: Poster
Donnerstag, 25. März 2010, 17:15–20:00, Poster B1
Mechanosensitive Behavior of Neuronal Growth Cones — •Steve Pawlizak1, Kristian Franze2, and Josef A. Käs1 — 1Institute for Experimental Physics I, Soft Matter Physics Division, University of Leipzig, Germany — 2Cavendish Laboratory, Biological and Soft Systems, University of Cambridge, UK
Neuronal pathfinding is essential for the development of the central nervous system. Although it is generally accepted that chemotaxis is the major guidance factor, it seems unlikely that this is the only mechanism directing developmental neurons to their target sites, especially when considering the length of some pathways.
In [1], we support the idea that durotaxis also plays a non-negligible role in this complex process. Our in vitro studies show that neurons actively palpate their mechanical environment with the help of their growth cones and retract their neurites from contacts they cannot mechanically deform. After mechanical stimulation of the neuronal growth cones using a modified scanning force microscope (SFM) probe, the neurons retract their processes and re-extend them into a new direction when the exerted mechanical stress exceeds ∼ 300 Pa. This threshold corresponds to the maximum substrate stiffness that neurons can visibly deform. Furthermore, an immediate calcium influx through stretch-activated ion channels seems to be correlated with neurite retraction.
[1] K. Franze et al., Biophys. J. 97 (7): 1883–1890 (2009)